A principal strategy currently employed for imparting odors, such as fragrance, to consumer products is to admix the fragrance directly into the product. There are, however, several drawbacks to this strategy. For example, the fragrance material can be too volatile and/or too soluble, resulting in fragrance loss during manufacturing, storage, and use. In addition, many fragrance materials are also unstable over time which, again, results in loss during storage.
In many consumer products it is desirable for the fragrance to be released slowly over time. Microencapsulation and inclusion complexes with cyclodextrins have been used to help decrease volatility, improve stability and provide slow-release properties. These methods are, for a number of reasons, often not successful and/or too expensive to be commercially viable, as for example, in the case of cyclodextrins.
Fragrance precursors for scenting fabrics being washed in the presence of a lipase-containing detergent are described in WO 95/04809. The fragrance precursors contained in the detergent and/or in the softener are cleaved by the lipase and a single active compound. In such a situation, an odoriferous alcohol, aldehyde or ketone is produced. In this system, a prolonged scenting effect on the fabric is obtained. However, the need for a lipase-containing detergent is of limited commercial significance. In many parts of the world, detergents do not contain lipase. Other consumers prefer to use so-called `nonbio` detergents.
Fluorescent whitening agents or brighteners have been added to laundry detergents since the 1950s to help maintain the original brightness of white clothing.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide new precursors for compounds with different activities. Through these precursors, different activities are imparted to a product by the addition of just one compound of the present invention.
Another object of the invention is to provide new precursor compounds which are stable under transport and storage conditions.
A further object of the present invention is to provide new precursors that supply different active compounds simultaneously or successively.